100 Million Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

I would also like to see Walmart pull this off – here in the UK they go under the ASDA name, but I wouldn't buy a CFL from them – they cost 8 x's the cost of an incandescent and last 5 x's as long, whereas a slightly more expensive type from a specialist supplier might cost 10 x's as much, but last 20 x's as long. I've calculated the running costs (based on UK prices) and found that the ASDA bought type break even cost wise, compared with the incandescent usage and life span. So…..what's best environmentally?

Why not LED bulbs? There are more effiecient and last longer than fluorescent as far as I know. Are they much more expensive?

Actually, LEDs are not more efficient. At least not yet. Here are some numbers: (efficacy, in lumens/Watt)

Incandescent 12-20
CFL 45-60
White LED 26-50

source: Wikipedia

LED technology is advancing very quickly however, and White LED efficacies of over 100 lm/W have been reported, although they're not commercially available yet. LEDs are also significantly more expensive than CFLs. On the other hand, LED lifetime should greatly exceed that of CFLs.

I don't know of any LED-based lamps for household use that are on the market yet. I'd be interested to know if anyone's seen any.

As to lifetime. Various things I've read have said that a major determinant of CFL lifetime is the number of times the lamp is switched on relative to the amount of time it's left on. High on/off duty cycle has a strong negative impact on CFL lifetime. If you're not seeing the lifetime you expect from your CFL, it could be that you're using it in an application it's not well suited for (lots of on/off).

Oh, I'm surprised about the efficiency, but I guess LEDs aren't there yet.

Yeah, they generally get more credit than they deserve because they do so well in specialized applications (e.g., flashlights) relative to incandescent. I have a small LED headlamp that my son gave me ~ 5 years ago. I actually use it pretty frequently and I'm still running on the original batteries!

BTW: It's "efficacy," not "efficiency." It's a ratio of light output to power input. Efficiency would be e.g., power out / power in (dimensionless) - which doesn't make sense for a light bulb.

Have a look at this, its just on the market. http://www.electronicproducts.com/ShowPage.asp?SEC TION=3700&PRIMID=&FileName=hlap02.oct2006.html

The fact of high cycling rates is detrimental to all fluorescent lights. If you turn them on leave them on, otherwise use a candle!

No one complained here in Pendle Lancashire, when a box full of these high efficiency lightbulbs came through the post 'gratis' Some clever fellow had done his sums right. A little bit of pain, it probably added a few pence to the rates, but a huge gain to the community and the planet.

Installed in recessed fittings the light is great too. I've got another 30 fittings on order, each room gets 4 fittings so there is no flicker from the ceiling fan.

I bought two china made CFLs from Wal MArt. They were my worst buy of the year. They heat up and stop functioning properly. They work again when cooled. I am guessing they will be an electric hazard. And Wal Mart won't take them back because I have no receipts! Wal Mart does not check quality!